permaculture

["Kirby Fry" <peace@totalaccess.net>]

Aloha,

It's funny, John, that a lot of our friends who were off several years ago
seeking "spiritual enlightenment" and pursuing very extroverted social lives
in Austin, Texas are now slowly coming back around to being interested in
the Land, our land.

It's as if, after exhausting all of those flamboyant relationships and
trendy social scenes there is yet a sense of emptiness, of accomplishing
nothing real - if I interpret what they're saying correctly.  However,
though they may have a new source of motivation, they / we still lack the
social skills to share and get along, and make commitments on the level that
a family is committed to itself.

When my father grew sick, living 10 years of his life as a quadriplegic (his
last two years with us here in McDade), I began to see the real definition
of family.  Family is our last line of defenses, they are the ones who will
still love you and take you in even though you may not be able to stand each
other.  As soon as friends and lovers grow bored or angry with one another
that bond can be broken.  Somehow we must learn to create family like ties
with our friends, I guess elevating the relationship to something more
clannish or tribal.

Problem often is, though, that true need dictates the formation of such
bonds and corporate America along with the power peddlers have seen to it
that our perceived needs are met just enough to keep us from really banding
together as watershed communities, tribes, clans and families.  Then
something like 9-11 comes along and the strong need that everyone felt to
"unite" was turned by propaganda towards US empire building in the Middle
East.

I always felt a sense of urgency when listening to Mollison speak, like when
he says we're only a crop failure away from hunger.  Like, wow, I better get
to work and put my consumer impulses aside for a while.  I never looked at
my dog the same way again! ;^>  Without being scare mongers we need to
instill a sense of urgency and empowerment among our communities, so that
the trivialness and impulsiveness of our culture may be over come.

Or maybe, by building a sustainable settlement we put out a cast net for
those ready to be caught...


Kirby Fry

For the real scoop on environmental and social justice issues check out the
archives of Democracy Now!
http://www.webactive.com/webactive/pacifica/demnow/archive.html